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Monday, July 28, 2008

Here's an experiment I tried in the afternoon. I wanted to see if I could turn off all the studio lights (my studio is in the basement) and paint only using the southern light that shines in the basement window. I decided to reuse a panel that had this early daily practice piece on it. Recylced art.I spun around in my studio chair and set up my plein easel. This worked well for having both the subject and my panel in the same light. However, my palette is now on my right side and I cast a big shadow over it when sitting and painting (not good). I covered the panel with very wet Cadmium Red & Cadmium orange mix of paint. I knew I was going to really slop on the paint when I started out this way. Notice how cool the light is in the background? Watch how the sunlight changes in the background of the studio as the painting proceeds.Sketch a little with the darks...I can still see the roof from the previous painting.Block in the main shapes. So far the light is holding out just fine maybe changing just a little....but wait...That window in the back is on the western side. The sun has moved and it is getting darker all around me."Eyes don't fail me now!" The light is beginning to fade a little and so am I. I should lighten the background more but I decided to quit.

click on the image to enlarge the paintingoriginal by Peter YesisMarigolds8"x10"oil on masoniteSOLD

Now you can understand why painters always say paint from a north light window if possible. The north light stays constant and cool. The southern light changes position and temperature through out the day.I hope this will work fine for my small daily painting practice pieces because the light changes take about 2 hours. If a painting needs more time I will have to come back and paint the following day.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Thursday is Plein Air Painting day in Omaha. We tried Elmwood Park again this week but when we arrived it was raining and the park had no place with an overhang to take shelter under and paint. We decided to head to the coffee shop. Of course, it was a downpour just as we got out of our cars. We run in, buy a coffee sit down...... and the rain stops. John wanted to check out Hanscom Park thinking it had more to offer. So off we drove. The weather held back but the sky was dark and gray.I started a on pre-toned board that was dark olive green/gray. I kept thinking the rain was going to start any second so I painted fairly quickly.The wind kept moving the angle of the fountain spray... First on the right, then on the left.......I felt like I was playing follow the leader.

I think this place has the potential to make a good larger painting, though my art advisor/wife thinks I should go back and see what it looks like with the sun shining. Good thing we are painting there again next week.

I almost called this Postcard from Nebraska. (Update: I went back and renamed it)I painted it with a nod toward the style of and as a way of paying tribute to Julian Merrow-Smith and his (Postcards from Provence) blog. As I mentioned in my last post I have been blogging now for two years. Along with my friend (Darren Maurer) who got me started, Julian Merrow- Smith was one of the first artists I began looking at and studying everyday. I continue to marvel at his work and admire his fluid brush and rich color.

Monday, July 21, 2008

I have been working on several large pieces hoping to get enough backlog because my galleries are due for some fresh work. This is the Saturday farmer's market in the Old market of downtown town Omaha. The flower vendors dominate the area under the roof. I thought I would show you some progress steps of the latest.Here's an early detail. I am trying (hard) to keep everything grey and not go wild with the color in the beginning.I am hoping to clearly establish the background , middle ground and foreground before getting into the detail.Here I am adding more darks and bringing the color up a notch.This is where I quit for the day. I still need to work on the fore ground then go back and clean everything up. I hope by the end of the week I should have this completed. It's 24"x36"

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Popcorn Celebrationoriginal by Peter Yesis5"x7"oil on canvas board

I was so focused on the large painting I completely missed my 2 year anniversary of this blog. So I painted the popcorn as a celebration. I have learned a lot in 2 years . The biggest thing being I have a lot more to learn.

Friday, July 18, 2008

This was my afternoon plein air practice spot from yesterday. Two in one day. What a joy! Same park as yesterday's post. I needed to stay in the shade so when I noticed this path, that was all it took to start painting again.I have the most difficult time identifying the shadow colors when I paint outside. I think they are cool one minute the next minute I think they are warm. My eye plays this game with my mind the whole time. Finally I decided it was a little of both and kept painting.

The sun gods were having their way with me. Turning the sunlight on then off then hiding it behind a cloud. But, like the Greek plein air heroes of days gone by, I fought my way past their mischief and stuck to my .....path. (Peter's pun of path painting pleasure points to the positive progress of patience and practice)

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Omaha has a beautiful park ( Elmwood Park) in the center of the city just behind the University of Nebraska Omaha campus. In the middle of the park is this Spanish style pavilion. The sun was illuminating the stucco walls with a wonderful dappled light, Just perfect for a little plein air practice.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Elmwood Park Pavilionoriginal by Peter Yesis9"x12"oil on canvas board

We had a new artist join our Thursday painting group. Another Omaha artist, Chris Bolmeier. Chris paints in a very colorful and expressionistic style. Check out her website (here). She really helped me today, suggesting I throw some bold brush strokes and color into this practice piece. Bold brush strokes! What a concept. Do you think I can manage to do it two days in a row?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

If this study worked out I thought this might make a good larger painting. I started with painting in Alizarin Crimson on a dry toned canvas board.I thought an over the shoulder view would be fun to try. Here I am laying in the darks.Then starting in on the color. Keeping it fluid and transparent...and getting more opaque as I go along.I even have proof that I can change brushes. ( That's only because I was aware of taking the photos.)

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Summer Melonoriginal by Peter Yesis6"x6"oil on canvas board

Nothing is better than painting then eating a juicy summer melon. Or should that be tasting then painting??

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Today our little Plein Air group met at John's house near Plattsmouth, NE. John's wife has a gift for growing flowers and has lots of these small flower gardens all around their house. This corner on the back of John's workshop was fun to paint even though the temperature was near 90 in the sun. I was happily planted under the shade of a mulberry tree though. For a snack all I had to do was turn around, reach up and pick.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

It feels good to be back painting after a long weekend break with family visiting from back east. This little still life study is an idea I have had for a larger studio piece.I was attracted by the depth in the reflections in the bowl and the cool contrast brought in by the limes. The reflection of the knife added an interesting highlight and line to the composition.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Still Life Study - Limes5"x7"oil on canvas board

This is a good study for a larger painting but I think I will need to do more experimenting with the composition. Adding a lemon on the right side might help give it a good punch.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

OK! If I am going to do another daily peony painting I figure I might as well experiment a little and have a little fun. So I ground up some Yarka compressed charcoal and mixed it with a little turps and Liquin.What a lovely little wash painting it produced. I smudged the halftone in with my finger. The style feels very Oriental to me.As I pondered about the background I completely forgot to let the wash under painting dry......Oops! I brush on the background and brushed off the under painting....What is that saying? If at first you screw it up. Try try again? The good thing is, not having an under painting so well defined really allowed me to stay loose. At this point I have not used any blue... In fact I never did, the green was made by mixing the charcoal and yellow.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Pink Ladiesoriginal by Peter Yesis5"x7"oil on canvas board

SOLD

I really like the loose brush strokes and the suggestion of the glass vase. All done without blue.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

What a beautiful day yesterday was. It is hard to believe that we in Omaha had such horrific weather the past week. We had a terrible wind and rain storm run through us like a freight train...over 110 miles per hour winds. Put the wind together with torrential rain and hail and you get 130,000 people without electricity... We were lucky, the only damage was to our tomato plants. We had been without electricity since Friday night.... And now we have weather like this...

Nebraska June12" x 16"oil on canvas

Yesterday afternoon, after buying more ice for the freezer... Still no electricity, the only thing I could do was go plein air painting.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

The Rectoryoriginal by Peter Yesis14"x18"oil on canvas

By the time I got back to our house in the afternoon the electricity was back on! Yeah! That meant I could paint in the studio again.... so I finished this one.